Wow! How did this story begin to get us here, fifty years later? Obviously, it was all in God’s plan for us. He puts people into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Credit goes to our parents for their example and values that helped shape our life together.
When Phil first laid eyes on me as I came through the door at a dance, which I almost didn’t get to because I didn’t have any directions, he thought to himself, "That is the girl I am going to marry." I could hardly believe that story but he still sticks by it. I, on the other hand, wasn’t looking for a boyfriend because I already had one, but when he was introduced to my friend and me, I have to admit I was very attracted to him (tall, dark, and handsome!).
There we were, a city girl and a country boy! He was determined to find me and did everything he could to track me down because I wouldn’t give out my phone number. We had a lot in common, but number one was our Catholic faith and morals. At one time, I thought I could be a missionary and go off to foreign lands, while Phil gave consideration to the priesthood. Boy, does God work in strange ways! He skipped us and went to one of our sons. We are so pleased that God chose him and is working through him in many wonderful ways as he has touched so many lives.
Having a large family with our eight kids does mean a lot of work mentally, physically, and spiritually. One thing for sure is that there will never be a dull moment! These stories are all true and can cajole laughter or tears just thinking about them.
We remember one son always with a bucket when on a trip. And leaving a daughter at a gas station while traveling and driving off without her because we didn’t do a head count! How about a son getting his head caught between two bars at the Soo Locks when he was two years old? It went in just fine, but his ears wouldn’t cooperate in letting it out. We all felt panicked.
One of our daughters at four years old knocked out two of her front teeth at a store trying to climb into the cart for a ride. There was the unbelievable x-ray that showed two babies lined up almost perfectly so that the nurses couldn’t tell there were twins, but the doctor expertly pointed out a second spine.
There was a certain priest who had the courage to invite us out to South Dakota to see the wild west and the Indian school he helped operate. My parents and our dog went with us in the motorhome along with our eight kids. Fr. Tom joined us in our travels and from then on, the trip was full of stories. We won’t tell who spilled the coffee in his lap, snored the loudest in the auditorium of the church where we spent the night, or who had constipation problems! Hanging on to our seats as we whirled around the narrow curves in the mountain, a voice cries out, “I’m not worried! After all, we have a priest with us!” At the end of the trip, my mother said, “I could write a book about this trip and it would be a bestseller!”
Any broken bones? No, but close enough when one son tried to run up a wall at school and fractured his ankle, so he couldn’t drive the new car he just bought for six weeks.
Oh yes, and there were the sports: football, baseball, soccer, and wrestling. Some didn’t last long, others kept us in a sweat watching our sons being turned into pretzels! Those were the days of elevated blood pressures, sweaty palms, and racing hearts. Whew!
Diapers seemed such a breeze even when they were doubled!
We could go on with the stories, but now is the time to stop and enjoy thinking about the stories of our twenty-three grandchildren. This is the time to start the book! The best way to have fun is to tell these stories. There are no greater family treasures than pictures and stories.
We want to end by saying THANK YOU to our FAMILY and FRIENDS! We couldn’t have made these 50 years possible without the presence of God in our lives and lots of prayers and sacrifice. With a grateful heart, we ask God’s blessing on all of you.
"I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6
|
